Who should attend: Criminal law practitioners, both Crown and defence.

Learning level: All Levels

Stay current on a range of important practice topics!The criminal law of Canada continues to develop on a number of fronts, reflecting the dynamic interplay of social trends, technology, legislation, and law enforcement. This comprehensive one-day program will examine an eclectic mix of criminal law topics of current import and interest: Mr. Big sting operations, police use of computer forensics, Internet luring, impaired driving, prolific offender programs, and s. 24(2) of the Charter of Rights. This wide ranging program is designed for criminal lawyers, both Crown and defence, at all levels of experience.

Registration includes course materials. Note: You will continue to receive a print copy of the materials at the course. In addition, you will receive an email with a link to the online version of the materials approximately one day before the course.

Much of the prior court jurisprudence on s. 24(2) of the Charter is no longer of importance.

In Grant, the Supreme Court of Canada arrived at a new approach to s. 24(2) of the Charter, replacing the old Collins and Stillman tests.

Learn what role the traditional three lines of inquiry play post-Grant—the seriousness of the Charter-infringing state conduct, the impact of the breach on the Charter-protected interests of the accused, and the societal interest in an adjudication on the merits.

Hear how Grant has and will continue to impact s. 24(2) inquiries in light of the Supreme Court of Canada’s direction to trial judges to consider “all the circumstances” of the case.

Learn how Bill C-2 has fundamentally changed the law of impaired driving in Canada, including expanded police powers, by giving police the authority to demand physical sobriety tests and bodily fluid samples for s. 253(a) investigations, increased penalties with respect to both alcohol and drug-impaired driving, and the creation of new offences.

Discover current trial trends, including approaches to challenging the new law’s restriction on defence counsel’s ability at trial to challenge or counter blood-alcohol concentration test results.

Consider the impact the new impaired driving law has had on legal counsel and the citizen’s right to a fair trial.

Prolific offender programs have either come to a courthouse near you or soon will.

Learn the nuts and bolts of how prolific offender programs work and what the expectations are of the various participants, including the judiciary, prosecutors, defence counsel, defendants, corrections, and social agencies.